Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:17:

Yes, I tried to mount this drive in a Linux computer but could not get it it mount. The computer wanted to reformat it.

That's because it's not formatted in a standard way. While there's an ext4 file system on it, which Linux could in theory read, it also contains the firmware for the NAS. Linux won't see the ext4 file system due to the non-standard layout caused by this. It may also have DriveLock enabled.

darry wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:32:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:17:

Yes, I tried to mount this drive in a Linux computer but could not get it it mount. The computer wanted to reformat it. Which I […]
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Yes, I tried to mount this drive in a Linux computer but could not get it it mount. The computer wanted to reformat it.
Which I didn’t.
I later read that this drive has some sort of security built in which does not allow anyone to use it without the WD MyCloud enclosure.
You need that Networking PCB in order to get it to work.

The reason for that is probably that this version of the NAS uses encryption, so its drives won't be readable on a computer, but they are probably standard drives that could used on any PC once re-formated . Conversely, you can probably use standard drives in the NAS (said NAS will just format and encrypt them ) .

I tried to use a. WD RED NAS 2tb drive with this MyCloud Networking PCB but it would not work.

derSammler wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:33:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:17:

Yes, I tried to mount this drive in a Linux computer but could not get it it mount. The computer wanted to reformat it.

That's because it's not formatted in a standard way. While there's an ext4 file system on it, which Linux could in theory read, it also contains the firmware for the NAS. Linux won't see the ext4 file system due to the non-standard layout caused by this. It may also have DriveLock enabled.

That could be, but even if the NAS firmware is on a partition (bad idea), the data partition would likely still be accessible, at least it was on my old IX2 NAS, AFAICR .

WD started implementing transparent encryption (not on the drive itself, but in a separate controller chip on the USB bridgeboard) on at least some of their standalone USB drives a while back, even if you did not choose to have the drive password protected . If you used one and the USB bridge failed, you were SOL (third party tools have since broken that encryption) .
I would not be surprised if they did it on their NAS units too .
EDIT : apparently not encrypted (I got the model from the serial number posted) :

https://community.wd.com/t/my-book-live-3tb-s … nectivity/56622

So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup.
I costs $700 and up to fix a hard drive and get your data back.

A NEW 3tb drive only costs about $70

Editorial:
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/hard-drive-rel … -stats-q1-2016/

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 16:18:

So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup. I costs $7 […]
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So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup.
I costs $700 and up to fix a hard drive and get your data back.

A NEW 3tb drive only costs about $70

Editorial:
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/hard-drive-rel … -stats-q1-2016/

I totally agree. I would add that proactively replacing drives in a NAS after 5 years is also something to consider .

A single local drive should not be your only backup. RAID is also NOT backup.

Do local backups as well as cloud backups.

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-04-19, 16:40:

A single local drive should not be your only backup. RAID is also NOT backup.

Do local backups as well as cloud backups.

🤣, I think Cloud backups are actually going to be server farms deep under ground in the future. And on different continents and planets.

Yeah, when I connected this WD Green hard drive to a Linux computer the computer would not even boot off the main drive.
The computer bios did not like this WD Green drive.
That is another reason I think it is not a standard Sata hard drive.

Bad news, The WD MyCloud NAS drive that I thought I fixed the other day is NOT working again.
So I popped it into a Ubuntu/Linux computer and tried to mount it would not mount.
Here is the error message.

Anyone know what could be the problem ?

After a mount attempt, open a command line, run each the following commands and post output .

sudo dmesg | tail -50

sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdi

sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdi

Okay, I am using a USB harddrive dock.

Here are some more photos

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 16:18:

So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup.

Well, a NAS *is* normally used for backups or for files being actively used and backed up otherwise. A NAS is not for archiving. And 1-slot NAS units are just for stuff you don't care about losing, e.g. as a source for streaming audio/video.

darry wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:54:

That could be, but even if the NAS firmware is on a partition (bad idea), the data partition would likely still be accessible, at least it was on my old IX2 NAS, AFAICR .

Afaik, it's not on a partition but the raw data is directly written starting at a fixed LBA. The bootstrap has no idea about partitions and file systems.

Could you try this tool on your hdd to see if you can access the files:
https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

How come a couple of days ago it was a 2TB drive (from your pictures) and now it's 3TB?

He actually posted three pictures of the hard disk, which all show different drives. Maybe that's why nothing is working. 🤣

jmarsh wrote on 2020-04-21, 20:07:

How come a couple of days ago it was a 2TB drive (from your pictures) and now it's 3TB?

Yes, I have two WD MyCloud NAS drives that have failed.
Both had these WD Green drives installed which are know to fail and causing
Havoc with the MyCould community right now because these drives are all dying.

Anyways, the 2tb WD Green drive is toast.
This 3tb is the important one with all my old files from 1993.

Right now, I just booted off a Ubuntu install DVD to run Linux
But I think it is best to install it on an SSD and use it to try to save this WD harddrive.
As I need to install packages and add-on.

derSammler wrote on 2020-04-21, 19:30:

Well, a NAS *is* normally used for backups or for files being actively used and backed up otherwise. A NAS is not for archiving. […]
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Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 16:18:

So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup.

Well, a NAS *is* normally used for backups or for files being actively used and backed up otherwise. A NAS is not for archiving. And 1-slot NAS units are just for stuff you don't care about losing, e.g. as a source for streaming audio/video.

darry wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:54:

That could be, but even if the NAS firmware is on a partition (bad idea), the data partition would likely still be accessible, at least it was on my old IX2 NAS, AFAICR .

Afaik, it's not on a partition but the raw data is directly written starting at a fixed LBA. The bootstrap has no idea about partitions and file systems.

If that's the case, they might have used a proprietary file system too while they were at it . Eventual DATA recovery was clrarly not on their minds . If filesystem was a known one, maybe testdisk will find it .

Before attempting any further recovery, as long as the drive is readable, a dd dump onto a new working one should be attempted and then any further recovery attempts should be done on a copy of that. You do not want work a weakened drive to death or risk making things worse .

Not to get your hopes up, but here is a recovery success story from somebody getting the same error as you .
https://superuser.com/questions/363211/recove … from-failed-nas

darry wrote on 2020-04-21, 20:31:

If that's the case, they might have used a proprietary file system too while they were at it . Eventual DATA recovery was clrarl […]
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derSammler wrote on 2020-04-21, 19:30:

Well, a NAS *is* normally used for backups or for files being actively used and backed up otherwise. A NAS is not for archiving. […]
Show full quote

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-04-19, 16:18:

So basically, Anyone using a 1 0r 2 disk NAS with drives older than 5 years. I highly recommend you create a backup.

Well, a NAS *is* normally used for backups or for files being actively used and backed up otherwise. A NAS is not for archiving. And 1-slot NAS units are just for stuff you don't care about losing, e.g. as a source for streaming audio/video.

darry wrote on 2020-04-19, 15:54:

That could be, but even if the NAS firmware is on a partition (bad idea), the data partition would likely still be accessible, at least it was on my old IX2 NAS, AFAICR .

Afaik, it's not on a partition but the raw data is directly written starting at a fixed LBA. The bootstrap has no idea about partitions and file systems.

If that's the case, they might have used a proprietary file system too while they were at it . Eventual DATA recovery was clrarly not on their minds . If filesystem was a known one, maybe testdisk will find it .

Before attempting any further recovery, as long as the drive is readable, a dd dump onto a new working one should be attempted and then any further recovery attempts should be done on a copy of that. You do not want work a weakened drive to death or risk making things worse .

Good idea. a DIsk Dupe to a NEW drive sounds best before trying to recover data from this old drive.